Mozzarella

24-Aug-2015

One of the trickiest things to do in a vegan kitchen, is to make cheese! There are techniques that allow you to create cheese that really taste out of this world, but they are rarely easy to make and never low in fat. This recipe yields a mozzarella cheese (four of them to be precise) with a stretchy consistency and pretty impressive mouth feel, considering that it basically has no fat whatsoever. If you’ve ever wondered what to use to top your favourite pizza, you might have just found the perfect answer to your question. Did I mention that this recipe is also impressively easy?

Place the ingredients into the jug of a blender, and blend at medium to high speed for roughly 30 seconds or until you obtain a smooth liquid.

Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat and pour in the mixture.

Start stirring the sauce and keep doing so until it thickens into the final cheese. If you see some lumps forming at first, don’t worry! The lumps will dissolve into a creamy molten cheese consistency. However, to make this happen, make sure to stir vigorously as the sauce thickens.

Cook the mozzarella just until it begins to boil, and after that, you can turn off the heat and cool it down completely before using it.

Substitutions and Tips

Tapioca starch can easily be found in any asian store

The quantity of starch can be adjusted to obtain mozzarella of different consistencies. For a more liquid cheese, use 18g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) of tapioca starch, and for a very thick mozzarella, use 22g (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) of tapioca starch.

Tapioca starch yields a strong and elastic gel, which is perfect for the task. However, potato starch can also be used; it is a bit stronger than tapioca and it yields a slightly different and more gummy result. Cornstarch is also an option, but it will yield a custard-like mozzarella with no elasticity, which might not be what you are looking for.

To replace the tofu, simply use 40g or 1.4oz of one of the following ingredients: boiled potatoes, coconut cream, boiled carrots, tahini, coconut oil, olive oil or nuts (cashew, macadamia and almonds work perfectly).

Firm tofu can be substituted with silken tofu.

If you decide to replace the tofu with potatoes, do know that the mozzarella will end up a bit more elastic.

Yield, Times and Info

Makes: 300g - 10.5oz - (enough for 3 large pizzas)Preparation Time: 10mCooking Time: 3mTotal Time: 13mStorage Times: Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. In some rare cases the mozzarella gets thinner and thinner as the time passes until it becomes a delicious sauce. If using tapioca starch as recommended, the mozzarella can be frozen and it will keep for up to a month. This is as tapioca gels are stable when thawed.